//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Cutie Mark Crusader Changelings // by Smiley216 //------------------------------// Two sets of hooves plodded along the cobbled ground as Applebloom and Button made their way up the street. “Thanks,” Apple Bloom said, trying to break the silence. “Huh?” the brown colt stopped, having been startled by the sudden recognition. “Fer keep’n Diamond Tiara from gett’n to me,” she explained. “Thanks.” “Oh,” Button trotted to catch up and matched her pace again. “It’s … you’re welcome.” Silence threatened to rejoin as their third companion but Button fought to push him back. “So, you girls do any good crusading lately?” She shrugged at his question. “Not since we missed class last week,” she said. “Twilight taught us some magic at the library.” He raised a suspicious eyebrow at this. “She taught all of you … magic?” She smiled at this. “There’s more to it than waving a fancy horn around,” she said. “Well … yeah, but earth ponies-“ “-can do most’a the same things unicorns can do by using alchemy and potions,” she finished for him. “Just look at Zecora. She’s even taught Twilight a thing or two about magic. An’ Twilight’s the Element of magic.” “Huh,” Button pondered this for a moment or two as he considered the implications. “I guess learn a lot with all the crusading you do.” The yellow filly shrugged a bit. “I guess so. I mean, you gotta know about what yer doin’ before you go and try t’ make it yer special talent.” “Seems like a lot of work though,” he added. “Do you ever stop and have fun?” Apple Bloom shot him a sidelong glare. “Of course I know how to have fun.” He winced as he realized how that sounded. “No, I didn’t mean-” “We’re here,” she deadpanned, knocking on the library door. A muffled ‘Just a minute’ was heard through the door and they heard somepony, presumably Twilight, stumble over something on their way towards the door. As suspected, the lavender mare opened up. “Well, hello kids,” she greeted, “what brings you two here?” Apple Bloom reached into her saddlebag and produced the two sealed letters. “Umm … Ms. Cheerilee needs these sent to Mrs. Snowball and Mr. Rich. We were hop’n Spike could help us out.” “Ahh,” Twilight nodded in understanding and opened the door to let them enter. “I’m afraid that’s not going to be possible today,” she said. “Spike’s in a bit of a … a stage, right now. So he won’t be able to do much until … probably tomorrow.” As if to confirm this they heard the aforementioned assistant groan in obvious discomfort. “You see,” she continued, leading the children upstairs, “dragons … actually, all reptiles grow a bit differently than we do. Our skin naturally grows and gets bigger with us. A dragon’s skin doesn’t really do that.” Button was particularly interested in this. It wasn’t every day somepony learned something about dragons. “What does it do?” he asked. A voice came up from behind them and whispered in their ears. “He takes his skin completely off.” This caused the two of them to jump and scream, instinctively clinging to each other as they turned to see Rainbow Dash hovering above them, cackling with glee. “Rainbow,” Twilight scolded, “that is not funny.” “Oh, lighten up, egghead. It’s all in good fun,” she assured. “And besides,” she added with a wink, “they can keep each other safe.” This brought attention to the fact Button and Apple Bloom were still holding onto one another. While Button simply let go and coughed awkwardly, Apple Bloom shoved him away so that he actually hit the wall with an ‘Oooff’. “So, he’s not really taking his skin off.” The answer was provided in the form of a pink blur. “He sure is, but he’s got another BIGGER skin hiding underneath. I know because Gummy does it too. Well, he only did it once, but he’ll probably do it again soon, and probably a few more times after that, and then he’ll get REALLY BIG. But not as big as Spike though, because dragons can get SUPER DUPER ULTRA MONDO big, or is it extra mondo? Twilight this is an important question so I know what size cake to bake, because we can’t let him run out of cake at his growing party. That would be mmpf-bmmm ffmm mmmffmmm mllfff.” The orange hoof lodging itself in her mouth caused the ramblings to cease. Unfortunately the owner of that hoof hadn’t done so for the benefit of the children. “Apple Bloom, what in tar’nation ‘re you doin’ outta school again.” At this point the cowpony’s eyes locked onto the brown colt. “An’ just what are you doin’ with my sister?” “Uhh, I, umm, uhh,” Button felt his eyes dilating as he stammered over his words. Twilight chuckled at this. “Calm down,” she said, miming the breathing movements that Cadence had taught her. “Ms. Cheerilee sent them to deliver some letters and they wanted to ask Spike’s help. No doubt so they could get back to class as quickly as possible.” The two children nodded in confirmation. It was a little two quickly for Applejack’s liking, but she let it drop for now? As they continued the rest of the way upstairs they saw that Fluttershy and Rarity were there too. Together they lay around Spike’s basket trying their best to comfort the small drake. Rarity applied a damp cloth to his scales while Fluttershy attempted to coax him into drinking some cool broth mixed with what appeared to be powdered emeralds. “If it’s natural fer ‘im, then why’s it hurt so much?” Apple Bloom asked. “Well,” Twilight thought aloud, “I imagine it hurts for all reptiles to some degree. But Spike’s scales are a lot thicker than say … Gummy’s.” Spike now took note of the extra company. However he wasn’t particularly enthused by it. “Gohhh, c’mon Twi. It’s bad enough that-guh- all your friends are here. But now we’re giving tours to the school?” That was the point when everypony heard the bell from the school ringing. This unfortunately led Spike to believe that his question was being answered true. “Gawwwhohohoohhhh noo. Tell me you didn’t.” All eight of the ponies in the room however were confused at the sound. “No, Spike. I really didn’t.” Applejack and Rainbow Dash both went out onto the balcony to try and get a look at the school. “Somepony is running up this way.” Once he was near enough Rainbow Dash yelled down to him. “Hey squirt, what’s going on?” Archer was panting heavily, having galloped as fast as his short legs could carry him. “Ms. Cheerilee … is hurt,” he managed to gasp out. “Scootaloo got foalnapped.” Everyone present gasped. Such a thing happening was unheard of, especially in a small town such as Ponyville. Twilight was the first to gain her wits about her. “Alright, Fluttershy, you stay with Spike and the kids. Keep the library locked. Everypony else-” Rainbow Dash rocketed off into the sky. “Ugh- Everypony else get close to me.” With that her horn began to glow with an audible crescendo of magic and- -POOF- Dinky jumped at the sudden appearance of the four adult mares who immediately rushed to Cheerilee’s side. “Pinkie!” she exclaimed, beaming through eyes that had obviously been crying. The little filly jumped up to give a hug, which Pinkie graciously scooped her up in. “Oh, it’s okay little muffin. We’re here now. And your momma is going to be SOOooo proud of you. But we probably won’t get to see that because the author is going to focus on Mmmvffmff mssf mmff fmmss is decideing whether to kill off mmsffmff mm fmm-” Twilight was bewildered at the fact a few seconds of having a hoof in her mouth wasn’t shutting Pinkie up like it normally did. But the sound was at least muffled enough to carry on a decent conversation. “Dinky, where are the rest of your classmates?” Out in front of the school Rainbow Dash came in for one of her more graceful high-speed landings. The little filly’s ears drooped at this, because she’d been left pretty much on her own. “Snips and Snails are the one’s ringing the bell and … Sweetie, Silver, and Pip ran to the fields to follow the unicorn who took Scootaloo.” Pinkie pulled the purple hoof from her mouth and said, “Thank you Twilight. I almost spoiled something SUPER awesome which would have spoiled the surprise. I suppose that’s why they call them ‘Spoilers,’ huh?” Then returned Twilight’s hoof to her mouth to stifle herself, apparently just to see what sounds she could make with random muffled words. “Alright, Rarity, see what you can do to help Ms. Cheerilee till help arrives. Pinkie, stay with the kids and make sure nopony else runs off. We’ll send the three who ran off back here so stay … put.” She turned to Rainbow and AJ. “The rest of us will search-” she reached out with her magic to keep the cyan pegasus from flying off again, “together.” “Grah … Twilight! Let me GO!” “No!” she said, pulling her friend down to eye level. “He probably took her into the Everfree so we need to stick together.” “She’s my SISTER!” “AND WE’LL FIND HER!” Twilight hadn’t wanted to yell so tried the statement again more calmly. “We’ll find her, Rainbow. I promise. But to do that we need to work together.” ~~~~ Back in the library a worried Fluttershy was trying to keep Spike in his basket. “Please Spike,” she implored, “you’re in no condition.” “No,” he said, obviously struggling with his words as much as he was struggling with the pain. “I’m not a … baby anymore.” “Yes you are,” she said, trying her hardest not to cry in sympathy to the young dragon’s pain. “You’re not done growing yet. Just let Twilight-” “NO!” Spike’s eyes flashed red and a deep growl rumbled inside of him. “I have to … help. I just have to grow … FASTER!” He then took both sets of his claws and, to Fluttershy’s horror, began forcefully peeling his old scales away from his chest. “Spike! No! Your body isn’t ready yet. You’re going to hurt yourself.” “GRRrrraahhhh I don’t care.” As he pulled his old scales away a sickly white puss clung between the dried childhood scales and the shiny new scales beneath. The smell of it reminded him much of how his breath smelled after breathing fire. “Let me outside.” If he was right this wasn’t going to be good for the library. Fluttershy was in tears now. She wanted to physically stop him, but she knew that would only cause him more pain. So all she could do was cry and beg. “No, please, stop it.” Spike’s eye caught the open balcony door and without a second thought he ran for it and jumped over the railing. Fluttershy managed to wrap a foreleg around his tail to keep him from falling to the ground. “Spike, please, just look at yourself. You’re not thinking straight.” He looked up. “It’s okay Fluttershy. Just watch.” And with that he exhaled a bit of fire into the puss. It not only caught fire, it engulfed the dragon in what was too calm to be called an explosion, but was too sudden to be called anything else. Fluttershy let go of him on instinct and ducked behind the railing, her fur slightly singed. When she looked back over the railing there was a circle of black char on the ground. In the middle of that laid Spike, who’s size had now grown threefold. “HA!” he declared. “Eat your heart out, Philomena.” And without further farewell he tore off on all fours towards the school.